Kant was observing the departing bus. Meanwhile Sharv eyed him with disappointment. Kant noticed his gaze. "What?" he questioned.
"Why did you drop off?" Sharv said, not frustrated but a little distracted.
"Well, I don't live in the city. My place is in the forest." Kant pointed to the east, to lush green forest that spread in front of them. "So I thought I could give you a stay too." 'And maybe the leader might like your help.' Kant added to himself.
"Traveling with me is a bad idea and inviting me to your home is worse." Sharv stated matter of factly.
"No, you helped me. Now it is my turn. You don't have a place to stay and I have a safe base. Let me repay your favour." Kant insisted. "Plus it's not my home per se." He mumbled as he started walking towards the forest.
"Then what is it?" Sharv asked as he reluctantly followed. But his reason for following was something unknown. A gut feeling that he had felt from the second he dropped off the bus.
"A base…. just as I said. Butttt we are rebels. Anti-establishment…. as you might call it."
'A rebel organization?' Sharv's brain raced, 'Well, I am already hunted by authorities. What else can they do?'
Kant was hesitant but he added, "And since you are hiding your identity, I thought you might become one of us."
"I don't have any affiliation," Sharv said firmly, "And I don't plan on changing that status. But I will entertain your offer."
As they were talking and two figures were watching them from the trees in the Eastern Forest. "So he is the one we have to capture?" Sujay asked.
"Yes, but who is that boy with him?" Vijay spoke after noticing Kant.
"Who can be with a Voidheart?. Not a normal person." Sujay said, " Just kill him..Many people die daily anyways."
Vijay started creating a long arrow after finalizing the plan. It was a five-foot-long, metallic black arrow. He signaled it to move with his finger and it moved without even stirring the air.
Sharv noticed an arrow head to his right, pointing directly at him, but it was already late.
Kant has been impaled
Without missing a single second, Sharv created a circular brown earthen shield which rose from the ground up. He caught Kant before he fell to the ground.
"Do not panic." Sharv spoke in a commanding tone. "I can heal you back from death's door." He added.
His pelvis glowed bright reddish brown as he utilized Earth Chakra alongside the black pulse that illuminated his neck. He caught the arrow which had impaled Kant and disintegrated it into what seemed nothingness. He then started healing him.
"He seems fast." Sujay said after seeing the shield.
"I'll just bombard him with arrows." Vijay spoke as he created more arrows. Smaller blue arrows bombarded the shield and broke it down with a booming sound.
When the dust settled a new shield was already present there, this time a much darker red tint could be seen on it.
Behind the shield Kant's wound had closed but he was not fully conscious yet.
"Kant, it seems we have been ambushed by my enemies." The image of old Major danced in front of Sharv's eyes. He knew that the Major had not believed him. The Adept level ID card also proved this even though it was stated that his breathing technique was why his ID had a higher power level than he showed.
Sharv was not naive; being hunted down from birth had taught him one thing. Dangers come from where you don't expect them.
So in his eyes every one might be a potential danger. A single moment of relaxation, thinking that nobody would come here to attack, had almost cost his life.
"Your survival will depend on how long the battle is. But since it seems you took the arrow meant for me I will fulfill your one wish. Tell me what you want."
"He is strong too." Meanwhile Vijay concluded.
" Knights, charge forward and encircle him." He commanded his men. Knights, wielding spears, blades and maces, jumped out from their cover. As they moved forward, Vijay bombarded the shield once again which resulted the same as before.
" If you can... please save my brother." Kant spoke with a breaking voice amid the banging sounds of arrows.
"I will." Saying this, Sharv created a shield around Kant, deep reddish brown in color. He then turned to face the knights.
A silver green light glowed at his heart and he spoke, air itself carrying his voice, "Who Are You People? And Why Are You Attacking Me?"
"Interrogating us while using a shield… that's not powerful enough to defend yourselves, is it?" Sujay spoke, "We are here to kill or capture you, Voidheart. Surrender and live or fight us and perish."
"The moment I lower my shield, will be the beginning of your end." Sharv now spoke, " So tell me did the border post inform you?"
"We are, VOID Corps. Our sole duty is to control Voidhearts. Why would it matter if they informed us or not?" Sujay spoke, hovering above a tree in the distance.
The shield sank down revealing Sharv who was now standing with two red earthen blades.
Placing one blade above his shoulder and another one pointing to the knights, Sharv asked, "Are you ready to die because of misinformation? I am not a Voidheart according to the Knight Corps' assessment."
"Why would we believe you or other corps?" One of the knights shouted, while they surrounded him, reinforcing their weapons with Earth Chakra.
"Death it is. What more can I do?" Sharv spoke in a flat tone and vanished from where he was standing. The sound of weapons clashing with each other echoed in the calm forest.
Sharv was facing the twenty five knights which Vijay commanded. He dodged under a knight's spear and cut his legs. The knight's armour couldn't stop his blade.
'It seems I won't need higher Chakràs against them. I don't want to reveal my full power here.' Sharv concluded after the first exchanges. Many experts could study the battlefield and know what Chakras were used. He didn't want to reveal even a bit more than needed.
Next, he successfully slashed at a knight's chestplate after blocking his longsword. As he was fighting the knights in the front three knights closed up on him from behind. All three stood over six and half feet tall.
The biggest of them carried a massive rectangular black shield paired with a heavy short sword. He slashed at Sharv with his sword. Sharv dodged it and attacked with his own blade. But the man's shield stood strong.
While the fight ensued the second leader Vijay was still hidden behind the trees. He has taken out a bow and a special crafted blue arrow with black runes and intricate chain like patterns. It reeked ominousity and was already drawn, waiting for the right moment.
On the battlefield, the second knight targeted Sharv's legs with a long sword which Sharv jumped over to cut. But he failed. Unlike their armor, they had reinforced their weapons and Sharv was not using Space Chakra himself.
As he was in a bind with the long sword wielder, the third knight attacked him from behind. He used his second blade to block it which left him wide open for further attacks.
Even though the opening was for just a millisecond, a blue arrow marked with black runes lodged itself in his chest. A black smoke oozed out of the arrow and surrounded Sharv, whose eyes dimmed.
An ominous loud laughter followed the successful attack. It was Vijay, who had not shown himself from the start of the fight.
"Sujay, I told you. An unawakened is generally a weakling." He laughed out loud. "How can one fight without knowing himself?" He added between his laughter.
The knights now backed away from Sharv.
Ominous Black chains, ethereal in nature had bound him. He was bleeding profusely from his eyes, nose and ears.
His blades had already disintegrated.
He was incapacitated.